Skimmer for a 260g

[RockyMtnReef]

Any recommendations for a heavily stocked 260 (~325 total volume)?

I have a Geo 8x28 in sump running on a Sedra 9000 right now that is ok but I think my bioload has become more than it can really handle.

 

[JRaquatics]

A little more about the system and budget will help steer you towards a few skimmer make and models that will work well for your system.

But for your water volume and awesome performance I recommend looking into a Reeflo 250 if you don't mind an external skimmer.
http://www.reefspecialty.com/Protei...lo-ORCA-250-Protein-Skimmer/product_info.html

But more info would help.

 

[RockyMtnReef]

Thanks for your reply.

My tank is a 70x28x30 acrylic with an overflow to a 75gal rubbermade tub. I prefer in sump skimmers because bulkheads tend to leak in the Rubbermades because of the curved walls (I have tried this with previous tanks). I keep mainly SPS but have a bunch of polyps and some LPS as well. I want to upgrade the skimmer because I have some big messy fish that my current skimmer just cant seem to keep up with. I dont want to blow $ just for the sake of spending but I would rather spend a little more to get the best performance possible. I was thinking about the Bubbleking 300 but I really dont know much about them beyond the little I have read.

I know that there are a lot of really good companies out there right now so any and all feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[depresed34]

bulkheads

bulkheads

try to take o ring out and put regular silicone but dont tighten it all the way till next day ,then tighten it- it will work,did same think on my ca and kalk reactor s made of 6'' acrylic pipe ,2 years not a drop of water

 

[RockyMtnReef]

That is a great idea, thanks!

 

[saltwater creep]

for a skimmer i like is h&s skimmers or bubble king but both arent budget friendly

 

[JRaquatics]

External skimmers don't need to have a bulk head into a sump. Most of the time you can prop up the skimmer to get the return to fall over the sumps sides. On the high end you have ATB, H&S, Bubble king, Reeflo, and warner marine are well built, solid performers. Med. end you have Octo Pro, Octo Extreme, GEO, Euro Reef and DAS.

 

[tangers]

Personally I would go with the reeflo. Outrageous performance, with only partial cost compared to some of the others! I love mine and my best friend has a 250 pro on his 450/700 gallon system, and he loves his too! Great skimmers!

 

[RockyMtnReef]

Thanks for all the great advise. The cost issue has me thinking. Do you get more for your money with some of the $$$ skimmers or is it size and basic design that matters? It seems that there is a huge difference in price depending on brand but in many cases the actual shape/design between some of the very expensive options and some of the others (like reeflo mentioned above) that are more modestly priced are very similar. Are people really only buying a brand name with some of these expensive skimmers or is there something else that makes them worth the extra $?

 

[JRaquatics]

IMO Reeflos should be priced higher than they are currently to match it's competitors because their construction and design is exceptionally good. The only thing is that they utilize a pump that is not considered energy efficient as compared to laguna (akoll), sicce, sedra and eheim pumps. But they are fan cooled external, reliable and easy to get parts at cheaper prices than the other companies on the market. This is one reason I went with the reeflo. A lot of the skimmers on the market is relatively the same in design but construction and material vary. This is usually what you see in the price along with the cost of R&D and pump cost. Most Higher end $$$ skimmers are worth the extra money, and can usually ask anyone that has went through a line of them, you will save money in the long run if you get a good skimmer from the start.

 

[Saulsa]

if budget is no option, I personally suggest an ATB. Its been about 3 days since I first popped mine in my tank and even before it was broken in (obviously) it was pulling way more muck than my octoxtreme with the sicce pump...

an external medium would be the last skimmer you'd ever need to buy..

 

[RockyMtnReef]

Thanks for all the feedback. So many options.....

I guess what I would also love to hear is some comparison feedback. For me to blow 2K on a skimmer only to find a marginal improvement over what I already own would be a bit hard to swallow. How do all of these different pumps compare to the Sedra 9000? I know that some of the bigger skimmers have two pumps which must give them more horsepower but at the same time I still see skimmers (Warner Marine) that look nice but have a hefty price tag running the 9000HO. I have been reading a ton and I must admit that the Reeflo that JR recommended above seems interesting since the pump is basically a dart with a needle wheel attached. I have a dart for my closed loop and the thing kicks some serious buttock. I could definitely imagine a serious performance upgrade there.

What do you guys think about the cone skimmers? Seems like an interesting idea although I am not an engineer so I don't really understand the concept except by channeling the foam you might get more expelled (am I off base here?).

My existing skimmer is 8"x28" which seems like it is in line size wise with some of the skimmers rated for a heavily stocked tank of my volume. If I were to buy something it would really need to blow this one away.

By the way. I forgot to mention that I am running an essentially bare bottom set up. My rock is built up on PVC stands directly over my closed loop system. You cant really tell however since the rock in front touches the bottom of the tank in from of the PVC stands. The closed loop is a series of 4 bulkheads (2 in back/middle and 2 right under the very front edge of the rock towards the sides) with 2 sets of PVC pipe running between the front and back bulkheads that have a bunch of holes drilled out to create the chaotic flow. There are two more bulkheads connected by a big screen pipe handling the return to the pump. Each of the two pipes runs diagonally from the back middle to the outside front (does this make sense?). I installed ball valves in front of each bulkhead so I can vary how much water is pushing through each bulkhead. Since water is basically crashing into itself in the PVC and then pushing out the holes it allows me to give certain spots in the tank more flow than others by increasing which bulkhead gets the most flow. I have no sand under or behind the rock at all. I have a thin layer (<1") in front of the rock for aesthetics. My turn over is from the closed loop (dart). Three 6100 Tunze streams on a controller for random flow and a return power by a Iwaki MD70RLT. I don't have any macro algae what so ever but I keep getting a thin layer of green algae on the rock and some red cyano on the sand. I can keep things looking ok with a turkey baster but I know it is ultimately a water quality (nutrient export) issue that is causing all of this. My SPS are happy and have decent color but not TOTM eye popping color. Although this could be related to some other things that I wont go into.

For those of you who made it this far thank you. If this info changes any of your recommendations all the better.

 

[Saulsa]

I love my ATB.. after using an Octo xtreme 200 and a DNW-150 the ATB blew them both away before even being broken in.. plus the customer service is excellent. ive seen BKs on large systems and the ATBs seeemed to be better